Self-winding time-piece



April 25, 1961 JEAN-MICHEL FROIDEVAUX ET AL 2,981,055

SELF-WINDING TIME-PIECE Filed May 28, 1956 4 Sheets-Sheet 1 p -vaw-l'ofsm mu! fiwdn/ r 1M BAA DI SELF-WINDING TIME-PIECE 4 Sheets-Sheet 2 FiledMay 28, 1956 N GI 7+0 (all. m)

April 25, 1961 JEAN-MICHEL FROIDEVAUX ETAL 2,981,055

SELF-WINDING TIME-PIECE I Filed May 28, 1956 4 Sheets-Sheet 3 {I llllllI h"; IIII I.

Dvu/m /ors 280/ M "I/IC/ Tibia /441 "2"]- WAW P 25, 1961 JEAN-MICHELFROIDEVAUX ETAL 2,931,055

SELF-WINDING TIME-PIECE Filed May 28, 1956 4 Sheets-Sheet 4 )rvLn/h f5 uM'Ze/ W l /M @WMQ n4 rfi'fffw United States Patent 2,981,055SELF-WINDING TIME-PIECE Jean-Michel Froidevaux and Fred Bandi, Geneva,Switzerland, assignors to Manufacture des Montres Universal PerretFreres, Geneva, Switzerland, a Swiss firm Filed May 28, 1956, Ser. N0.587,771 Claims priority, application Switzerland May 27, 1955 4 Claims.(CI. 58-82) Producers of self-winding watches are more and morecompelled to comply with aesthetic requirements. Thus, it has beennecessary to reduce the total height of watches without reducing theirgrade of operation nor consequently the resistance of the differentparts. Obviously,

if it is desired to execute watches all the parts of which are solid andwear-resisting, they should be given a suitably large size which leadsthus unavoidably to the execution of bulky watches.

The embodiments proposed hitherto resort for the obtention of the powerrequired for the winding of the mainspring to an oscillating weight thepivotal axis of which registers with the axis of the watch. The rockingmovements of said weight are performed in a plane different from thatcontaining the movement of the watch.v On the other hand, the automaticwinding mechanism lies also in a plane different from that of themovement of the watch, which leads to a comparatively considerableheight for the watch. It is thus impossible to reduce this heightwithout risking an objectionable reduction in the strength of thediiferent parts of the watch and without jeopardizing its operation.

It has been proposed to reduce said height by resorting to anoscillating weight which does not execute complete revolutions, theself-winding watches thus obtained including consequently rockingweights associated with stops. However such self-winding watches providefor the winding of the .watch only for one direction of movement of therocking weight. Consequently, it is necessary for the rocking weight toexecute a larger number of movements for the winding of the mainspringthan that required in the case of the so-called rotor watch with afreely rocking weight. Consequently the watch is wound more slowly and,to bring'a remedy to such drawbacks, the rocking weights are madecomparatively heavy and consequently bulky.

Now, our invention has for its object the execution of a very flatautomatic watch showing a resistance to wear and an accuracy inoperation which are at least equal to, if not better than the resistanceand accuracy provided by any known prior self-winding watch.

Our invention covers more specifically a timepiece with automaticself-winding means including a weight adapted to rock freely round itsaxis and to wind the driving mainspring for both directions of rotation.

According to a primary feature of our invention, the rocking weight hasits axis arranged eccentrically with that of the watch and it isarranged in superposition with the winding mechanism above the watchplate within the space left free on the latter by the mainspring, themovement and the balance wheel while the total height of said weight andwinding mechanism is at least approximately equal to that of themovement.

We have illustrated by way of example in the accompanying drawings threepreferred embodiments of our invention. In said drawings:

Figs. 1 and 2 are respectively a diagrammatic plan View from the bottomof the timepiece and a cross-section through line HII of Fig. 1 of afirst embodiment of our invention incorporated with a watch movementprovided with a conventional time train with an eccentric seconds handgear.

Figs. 3 to 6 are views similar to Figs. 1 and 2 of two furtherembodiments associated with novel arrangements of the movement providedrespectively with an eccentric and with a central seconds hand spindle,Figs. 3 and 5 show the movement from below and Figs. 4 and 6 arecross-sections through line IV-IV and VI-VI respectively. It should beremarked that the sectional views of Figs. 2, 4 and 6 are arrangedupside down with reference to the position for which the dial isuppermost.

In the watch illustrated in Figs. 1 and 2, the rocking weight 1 pivotsfreely round a spindle 2 which is integral with a support secured to theauxiliary plate 3 carrying the entire self-winding mechanism, whichplate 3 is fitted inside an opening 4a in the pillar plate 4 of thewatch movement, the two plates 3 and 4 lying in a common plane. A pinion5 coaxially rigid with the rocking weight 1 meshes permanently with agear 6 which in its turn is in permanent mesh with a similar gear 6',both said gears being pivotally and freely secured over two projections25 and 26 fitted in the plate forming the rocker member or yoke 7 whichin turn pivots freely round a point of the auxiliary plate 3.

According to the direction of rotation of the rocking weight 1, eitherof the gears 6 and 6' meshes with a wheel 8 forming part of a speedreducing train and coaxially rigid with a pinion 9 meshing with a pinion9' which meshes in turn with a wheel 27 coaxially rigid with the pinion28 which cooperates with the ratchet or winding Wheel on the barrel 10.A bridge plate 29, attached to the auxiliary plate 3, carries the upperpivots of rocket member 7 and of the wheel 8 and pinion 9. A. nut 30 onthe spindle 2 limits the vertical movements of the -rocking weight andforms through its lower surface. a

bearing for the jewel 31 rigid with the rocking weight. A catch 32pivotally secured between the bridge plate 29 and the auxiliary plate 3cooperates with the first wheel 8 of the speed reducing train 8, 9, 27,28. Said catch has for its object to prevent any rearward movement ofthe wheel 8 under the action of the mainspring as it unwinds.

The upper surface of the rocking weight is substantially flush with thatof the barrel carrying bridge 33 and of the other bridges of the watchmovement.

The self-winding operation is performed as follows: when the rockingweight rocks clockwise in the direction of the arrow the pinion 5 rigidwith the weight drives the gear 6 in the opposite direction. Said gearthus sub jected to the stress transmitted to it will make the rockermember 7 execute an anticlockwise rotation by a small angle. The gear 6'which is in permanent mesh with the gear 6 engages consequently theintermediate wheel 8, andthe pinion 9 coaxially rigid with the latterwill then mesh with pinion 9', which meshes with the intermediate wheel27 which in turn drives through its pinion 28 the ratchet on barrel 10.The latter revolves in the direction of arrow f2 (Fig. l) and thereforetensions the main spring of the barrel drum.

In contradistinction, when the rocking weight rocks anticlockwise, itscoaxial pinion 5 meshing with the gear 6 urges the latter through thestress thus transmitted to it into a direction which shifts the rockermember 7 in a manner such that the gear 6 meshes now directly with thewheel 8 of the speed reducing train while the other gear 6' revolvesidly. As in the preceding case, the gear 8 will drive through thepinions 9 and 9 the wheel 27, the pinion 28 rigid with the latter whichdrives the ratchet wheel and produces the winding of the mainspring in adirection opposed to the actual direction of movement of the rockingweight because the gear 6' is idle in the transmission.

Obviouslythe motion reversing means including a rocker member may bereplaced by any other means such as a sliding gear, a differential gearor a system of catches. Similarly, the speed reducing train may bereplaced by a differential gear. The rocking weight instead of pivotinground a stationary spindle may be mounted on a spindle rigid therewithand the ends of which form two pivots.

The above-disclosed arrangement allows making the self-winding meansindependent of the actual movement of the watch, which provides theadvantage of allowing the ready access to either of the sections of thewatch without it being necessary to dismantle any part of the watchmovement or of the automatic self-winding means.

The-embodiments illustrated in Figs. 3 to 6 show a novel arrangement ofthe movement gears as provided with a view to increasing to a maximumthe space left free on the plate on the outside of the movement, thebalance wheel and the barrel drum. As a matter of fact, the center gearof these embodiments no longer ineludes coaxially rigid pinions. Inorder to avoid any unnecessary repetition of the disclosure, we willdescribe said embodiments only in so far as they are difierent from thatillustrated in Figs. 1 and 2. In particular, it is not necessary todescribe the self-winding means which are similar to those describedwith reference to said Figs. 1 and 2.

In the embodiment illustrated in Figs. 3 and 4 which shows aconventional watch with an eccentric seconds hand gear, the barrel 34drives through the agency of a wheel 11 the pinion 35, attached tospindle 36; on the latter the socket 36' is mounted frictionally, andsaid socket carries the minute hand. Said pinion 35 which iscomparatively high controls in its turn a wheel 14 coaxial with thewheel 11, having the same diameter as said wheel 11 and mounted loose onthe pipe coaxially rigid with the latter.

The wheel 14 controls in the usual manner the balance wheel 20 throughthe agency of the seconds wheel 37, of the third wheel 38, of the fourthwheel 39 eccentrically positioned on the 6 oclock radius and of theescape wheel 19.

' Since the pinion 35 lies on the path through which the movement istransmitted from the main spring to the escape wheel, the minute handcannot be subjected to any objectionable shifting as a consequence of aplay in the gearing.

The space left free on the plate by the barrel, the movement and thebalance wheel, is swept by the rocking weight 24 the size and weight ofwhich are thus very large, since the pinion 35 occupies an area which isclearly less than that occupied by a conventional center wheel in usualwatches where it is arranged centrally of the movement.

In the embodiment illustrated in Figs. and 6, wherein the seconds handgear is arranged centrally to form a sweep hand, the mainspring in thebarrel 40 controls in the manner described with reference to Figs. 3 and4 the wheel 41 through the following sequence of gears: wheel 11controlled by barrel 40, pinion 42, cannon 43 carrying socket 43' andwheel 14 revolving freely over the pipe which carries said wheel 11 andmeshing with wheel 41.

The Wheel 41 which is eccentrically mounted as in the case of Figs.3.and 4 controls the third wheel 45 and the wheel 46 coaxially rigidwith the latter meshes on the one hand with the pinion 47 driving theescapement 19 and the balance wheel 20 and on the other hand, with thespindle 21 for the central seconds hand the play of which is compensatedfor through the pressure of the blade spring 22 engaging the pinion 23on said spindle 21.

The volume of the rocking weight 24 may thus be considerably increasedas in the case of the preceding embodiments.

- '4 What we claim is: 1. In a self-winding substantially round watch,the

combination of a barrel including a mainspring, a balance wheel, amovement operatively connecting the balance wheel with the barrel, arocking weight freely revoluble round an axis eccentric with referenceto that of the watch and adapted to turn in an unlimited manner roundsaid axis in both directions, a wind up gearing extending in superposedrelationship with reference to the rocking weight, controlled by thelatter and adapted to drive the barrel and wind. the spring in thelatter upon rotation of the weight in either direction and a platearrangement carrying the system constituted by said barrel, movemen-tand balance wheel and the further system constituted by said superposedrocking weight and wind-up gearing, said systems lying in side-by-siderelationship and having substantially the same total height.

2. In a self-winding round watch, the combination of a barrel includinga mainspring, a balance wheel, a movement operatively connecting thebalance wheel with the barrel, a main plate carrying the barrel, balancewheel and movement, an auxiliary plate coplanar with themain plate, arocking weight revolubly carried by the auxiliary plate round an axiseccentric with reference. to that of the watch and adapted to turn in anunlimited manner round said axis, said weight being provided with arecess extending over the major part of its surface facing the auxiliaryplate, a wind-up gearing housed inside said recess, controlled by theweight and adapted to drive the barrel and wind the spring in the latterupon rotation of the weight in either direction, said weight and wind-upgearing being carried by said auxiliary plate in side-bysiderelationship with reference to the system carried by the main plate andconstituted by the barrel, balance wheel and movement and having a totalheight substantially equal to that of said last-mentioned system.

3. In a self-winding round watch, the combination of a barrel includinga mainspring, a balance wheel, a movement operatively connecting thebalance wheel with the barrel including a central pinion, twoindependent coaxial wheels meshing simultaneously with the pinion andone of which is controlled by the barrel, an eccentrically mounted wheelcontrolled by the second coaxial wheel and gearing operativelyconnecting said eccentrically mounted wheel with the balance wheel, arocking weight freely revoluble round an axis eccentric with referenceto that of the watch and adapted to turn in an unlimited manner roundsaid axis in both directions, a wind-up gearing extending in superposedrelationship with reference to the rocking weight, controlled by thelatter and adapted to drive the barrel and wind the spring in the latterupon rotation of the weight in either direction and a plate arrangementcarrying the system constituted by said barrel, movement and balancewheel and the further system constituted by said superposed rockingWeight and wind-up gearing, said systems lying in sideby-siderelationship and having substantially the same total height.

4. In a self-winding round watch, the combination of a barrel includinga mainspring, a balance wheel, a movement operatively connecting thebalance wheel with the barrel including a central pinion, two coaxialwheels meshing simultaneously with the pinion and one of which iscontrolled by the barrel, an eccentrically mounted wheel controlled bythe second coaxial wheel, a rocking weight freely revoluble round anaxis eccentric with reference to that of the watch and adapted to turnin an unlimited manner round said axis in both directions, a wind-upgearing extending in superposed relationship with reference to therocking weight, controlled by the latter and adapted to drive the barreland wind the spring in the latter upon rotation of the weight in eitherdirection and a plate arrangement carrying the system constituted bysaid barrel, movement and balance wheel and the further systemconstituted by said superposed rocking weight and References Cited inthe file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS Byam Aug. 4, 1885 6 ColombFeb. 4, 1936 Thiebaud Dec. 8, 1953 Stamm Dec. 27, 1955 Godat Oct. 9,1956 Notice of Adverse Decision in Interference In Interference No.98,066 involving Patent No. 2,981,055, J .-M. Froidevaux and F. Bandi,Self-Winding time-piece, final decision adverse to the patentees wasrendered May 21, 1963, as to claim 1.

[Ofiicz'al Gazette July 23,1963] Notice of Adverse Decision inInterference In Interference No. 98,066 involving Patent No. 2,981,055,J .-M. Froidevaux and F. Bandi, Self-Winding time-piece, final decisionadverse to the patentees was rendered. May 21, 1963, as to claim 1.

[Ofiicz'al Gazette July 23,1963.]

